- Source
- Herodotus. Godley, Alfred Denis, editor. Cambridge, MA; London: Harvard University Press; William Heinemann, Ltd., 1920-1925 (printing).
- Translation
- AI-generated (gemini-3.5-flash) — machine translation; may contain errors
- Languages
- 日本語 · English · 简体中文 · 한국어
- CTS URN
- urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0016.tlg001.humanitext-grc2:4.170.1
- Generated
- Humanitext Reader · reader.humanitext.ai · 2026-11-11
Describes the Asbystae who dwell inland of Cyrene, their geographical limits, their exceptional skill in driving four-horse chariots, and their imitation of Cyrenaean customs.
Γιλιγαμέων δὲ ἔχονται1 τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέρης Ἀσβύσται. οὗτοι ὑπὲρ Κυρήνης2 οἰκέουσι. ἐπὶ θάλασσαν δὲ οὐ κατήκουσι Ἀσβύσται τὸ γὰρ παρὰ θάλασσαν Κυρηναῖοι νέμονται. τεθριπποβάται δὲ οὐκ ἥκιστα ἀλλὰ μάλιστα3 Λιβύων εἰσί, νόμους δὲ τοὺς πλεῦνας μιμέεσθαι ἐπιτηδεύουσι τοὺς Κυρηναίων.
Bordering on the Giligamae to the west are the Asbystae. These dwell inland of Cyrene. But the Asbystae do not reach down to the sea, for the Cyrenaeans occupy the district along the sea. They are, of all the Libyans, by no means the least but rather the most given to driving four-horse chariots, and they make it their practice to imitate most of the customs of the Cyrenaeans.
- 4.170.1Γιλιγαμέων δὲ ἔχονται
The middle voice verb ἔχομαι with the genitive (here Γιλιγαμέων) means 'to border on' or 'be next to.'
- 4.170.1ὑπὲρ Κυρήνης
The preposition ὑπέρ with the genitive is used in a geographical sense to mean 'inland of' (literally 'above' the coastal area).
- 4.170.1οὐκ ἥκιστα ἀλλὰ μάλιστα
A rhetorical emphasis ('not least but most', a form of litotes) asserting strongly that, far from being the least, they are preeminently the most skilled at (or devoted to) chariot-driving among the Libyans.